Hawker Beechcraft Commits To Decade In Wichita

Hawker Beechcraft has reached a formal agreement with the state of Kansas that the Wichita OEM says provides a “significant” incentive for “the company to maintain its presence in Wichita over the next 10 years.” The state’s incentive package requires Hawker Beechcraft to maintain its current product lines in Wichita and retain at least 4,000 jobs over the next 10 years. The $40 million package includes $10 million over three years for tuition reimbursement and training for employees attending the National Aviation Training Center, Wichita State University or any of the other Kansas Regents’ institutions. Hawker Beechcraft will also receive $30 million over the next five years as part of the Major Project Investment portion of the state’s Impact program. The City of Wichita and Sedgwick County have also agreed in principle to provide $2.5 million each over the course of five years. “With the acceptance of this agreement,” said Hawker chairman and CEO Bill Boisture, “we are committing to be successful as a Wichita, Kansas- and U.S.-based private company and preserving a valued American industry in tomorrow’s aviation markets.”